Prostitution? Yes please!

Prostitution is known as "the world's oldest profession." If it has been around for centuries, then why is it illegal? Shouldn't everyone have a right to do what they please with their body?

"To the moralist, prostitution does not consist so much in the fact that the woman sells her body, but rather that she sells it out of wedlock."

— Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays

Prostitution has been called "the world’s oldest profession." Women and men have been having sex for money for thousands of years. In some ancient civilizations, prostitution was a common profession that was accepted and revered. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans were commonplace with the wealthy, married noblemen who took no care to hide their conquests. Up until the early 20th century, prostitution was even legal in the United States.

Presently, prostitution has been banned by all states except Nevada, which is famous for its upscale brothels. However, I believe that prostitution should be legalized throughout the country, not just in Nevada. The only reason that politicians do not wish to legalize it is because it would be very difficult for them to tax and make money off of it. If someone wishes to sell their body to the highest bidder, who am I to tell them that they cannot do so? If abortion is legal because every woman should have the right to choose, then why shouldn’t people be able to have sex for money? It seems illogical and restrictive to tell people that they can have the abortion, but they cannot use their bodies to make money. With the economy being as rough as it is, people should be allowed to make money any way that they can.

I do not think that legalized prostitution would do any irreversible damage to the country as a whole. In the scheme of things, prostitution is no worse than the other scandals that rock this country on a daily basis. Every day there is news about people being murdered or a wealthy CEO laundering money because they are greedy and selfish. How is prostitution any different from pornography? In both circumstances, people are being paid to have sex. In my opinion, it is worse to make money by having sex on film. Since I support the pornography business, shouldn’t I support prostitution? I would much rather see someone prostituting, than living off my tax dollars and the government. Don’t get me wrong, assistance should be provided to those that are down on their luck. However, we should not make a habit of supporting individuals who are lazy and want to live off the system. At least if someone is prostituting, they are making their own money, on their own terms. For someone who has no other useful job skills, this could be a very productive profession.

I believe that by legalizing prostitution, the sex industry would become a safer place. Prostitutes would not be fugitives of the law, and they could more safely go about their profession. Instead of hanging out in alleys or bad parts of town where they are easy targets, they could be in a singular area with a police presence to assure safety. Even better, there could be no streetwalkers. All prostitution could be run through brothels or other professional agencies where the workers could be better protected from abusive clients. It would be much harder to assault a prostitute in a brothel and get away with it than it would be in a dark alley. Prostitutes could also be screened more thoroughly for STIs. This would prevent rapid spread of incurable diseases through the sex industry. Just like porn stars, individuals could be tested on a regular basis to help aid in the prevention and early detection of disease. Overall, I believe legalizing prostitution would be beneficial in the long-term scheme of things.